Although the producer has been around since the first wave of Detroit techno, he's yet to see the commercial success of peers such as Carl Craig and Kevin Saunderson, instead remaining a cult figure worshipped by hardcore techno and electro fans worldwide. Health issues have unfortunately made him unable to capitalise on the demand for Detroit DJs in Europe, and even his more recent singles are difficult to find without paying a hefty premium, but Rush Hour are set to introduce his work to a new generation of electronic music listeners with the release of Frictionalism 1994-2009.

Mostly comprising of his productions that were released on his own Frictional Recordings (with cuts from the 7th City-released Tracks For My Father EP also being included), the 3xCD set collects 35 tracks that will appear for the first time in digital form. All have been freshly remastered especially for the compilation. The expansive set (which will be limited to 1000 numbered copies) allows Rush Hour to showcase the diverse nature of Shakir's work, ranging from jazzy instrumental hip-hop, pummelling electro, wonky techno and hypnotic house as well as some more broken fare, and will even include three exclusive tracks in the form of "The Other One," "Frenchie" and "Psychotic Tango."

Vinyl fans gazing at the inflated prices of Shake's twelves shouldn't be disheartened, as Rush Hour are also planning an abridged vinyl version of Frictionalism, which will see release two months before the CD. Again, it will be a limited offering (with just 750 copies being produced), with the quadruple 12-inch and single 7-inch set featuring some of his biggest club tracks. "The Other One" is the sole vinyl exclusive.

Vinyl:
A1. Happy To Be Here
A2. Breathe Deeper
B1. March Into Darkness
B2. Electron Rider
C1. Arise
C2. Simpatico
D1. The Fake Left, Go Right Plan
D2. Mr Gone Is Back Again
E1. Assimilated
E2. Get A Feeling
F1. For The Lamented
F2. Frictionalized
G1. The Floor Filler
G2. Plugged In
H1. The Other One
I. My Computer Is An Optimist
J. Fact Of The Matter

Rush Hour will release the vinyl version of Frictionalism: 1994-2009 in November 2009, while the CD version will hit shops in January 2010.

A truly excellent release. It's a massive task to get through this in one sitting due to the time it takes, but you always wonder what the next track is going to be like. It will take several listens to take in this massive collection. It's well put together, with each track getting better and better as each CD progresses. My fav would be 'The Floor filler' on CD1 as it will do exactly what's on the tin when dropped!

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